Control of Wheat Common Bunt by Mustard Flour, Trichoderma Isolates and Biological Materials

Recent studies have shown the controlling effects of Trichoderma species and extract of a few plant species of the Brassicaceae family on some phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, using a completely randomized blocks design in the field, controlling effect of biological agents comprising mustard flour, Trichoderma koningii T18, T. virens T59, T. brevicompactum T30, T. harzianum T56, mixture of four Trichoderma isolates, mustard flour + mixture of four Trichoderma isolates and two commercial biological product of Trichodermin B and Subtilin were evaluated against wheat common bunt caused by Tilletia laevis. According to the infection index, all treatments were able to reduce infection percentage and showed significant differences (P<0.01) compared to control (infected with T. laevis without any biological agent) in which heads infection was 43.5%. Treatments of Mustard flour and mustard flour + mixture of four isolates, reduced the disease by 89.9% and 87.4% respectively. Consequently, it seems that wheat common bunt could be controlled by application of non-infected seeds and by treating seeds using mustard flour without using chemical fungicides.